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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Jewel Sommars shares her memories and life experiences with artists from the 'Reflections of Her. . .' project.
Looking Glass Legacy
'Reflections of Her . . .' explores the lives of local elder women through art
By Daniel Hindin
There is more to history than what appears in text books. Local artist Paulette Peterson, along with the Cupertino-Sunnyvale Senior Day Services (CSSDS) is working hard to provide a different sort of history than is taught in local schools. Her project aspires to depart from the traditional "man and his weapons" history to which students of American History are accustomed.
Peterson and Kimberly Ferm, executive director of CSSDS, both believe that despite recent interest in women's history and all that can be gained from these histories, elderly women and their life stories remain largely ignored.
Peterson, a sculptor and installation artist, met Frem at an Arts Build Community (ABC) Grant one-day conference. They realized that, together, they had the ability to pool their resources and produce something really different.
With money the pair received from a grant sponsored by the Arts Council Silicon Valley and the Community Foundation Silicon Valley, they have endeavored on a project which will creatively and publicly document the histories of older women living in Santa Clara County. They have dubbed the project Reflections of Her . . .
So far, Peterson has completed 21 of the original goal of 25 interviews with women, aged 70 to 100. She is well on her way to completing the project. She says many of the women are shy at first, but "usually become very cheerful by the end of the one-and-a-half-hour interview. They become very excited that someone wants to know their story."
After the interview is conducted, the women are encouraged to participate in an art project. They are given directions to create a piece of art that is a landscape of their life. The art projects are all one of a kind monotype prints, which are done by putting ink on a plastic plate and running it through a press with a piece of paper. Multiple prints can be made in order to add more layers.
"Most of the women who have been interviewed are clients at the day-care facilities, and the others have either read or heard about the project at Senior Center activities," Peterson said.
CSSDS takes care of many stroke and Alzheimer's disease victims. It is a place where men and women can meet with their peers and have a good time together in a stimulating environment. "The day care program takes a lot of pressure off the primary care giver," Ferm says. "It keeps them from burning out."
Most of the primary care givers are spouses or children of these men and women. It takes a lot of their time and energy to take care of their loved one and many times, no matter how willingly they care for them, it leaves little free time for them to continue with their own lives.
Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Artist Paulette Peterson interviews local senior Jewel Sommars for the 'Reflections of Her...' history project.
CSSDS also provides a place for these seniors to have positive interactions. "Many of them grow depressed," Ferm said, sometimes due to loss of memory or of muscle control. The day care center gives them an outlet to share experiences with other people in their same situation. Different activities are scheduled everyday, including arts and crafts and physical exercises to keep their muscles limber.
Bernice, a client of the Cupertino Day Service, has attended daily for nine months. She moved from Pennsylvania to California to be with her son while recovering from hip surgery. "Maybe I'm a coward," Bernice says, "but I'm not ready to be independent yet."
She seems excited to be involved in the Reflections project, although she expresses some reservations about doing the art. "All the drawing I know how to do is circles," Bernice says. But she'll be given friendly guidance from Peterson who notes, "The art workshop is definitely the most challenging part of the project because this culture doesn't get enough art exposure."
Ferm agrees. "This is a much more positive way for them to spend their day than listening to a one-way conversation from the TV," she says.
The Reflections of Her. . . project will be completed sometime this fall, probably near the end of October. All of the art--the individual monotypes that the women have created and the all encompassing project that Peterson is working on--will culminate in a multisite exhibit which will rotate every four to six weeks between the Sunnyvale and Cupertino Senior Centers and daycare centers, starting in November.
Peterson said the goals of the project are to capture these women's stories for future generations and to honor these seniors. This will increase public exposure to senior issues, empower the seniors, proliferate the idea of women's history, and give these women something to be proud of.
Peterson has had a very positive response to this project. Although she has filled all of the 25 positions that the project's budget allows, she has her mind set on eventually expanding the project. She hopes to compile enough interviews so that she one day will have enough stories to produce a book chronicling the experience.
CSSDS is allowing Peterson to use their facilities for the extra interviews. Individuals who are interested or know a local woman between the ages of 70 and 100 who may be interested, can call Peterson at 408.984.0362, or Kimberly Ferm at 408.973.0905.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
